03 May 2014

I only strimmed some of the paths so as not to aggravate the tendernighties in my shoulder. It wasn't as bad as I thought as I can strim right handed....if there is such a thing.

The boss planted lots of stuff and did some hand weeding while I was busy doing that. Later I planted the tomatoes out in the greenhouse...probably too close together again as there is lots of space left to fill...but there will be cucumbers and peppers and aubergines to go in yet at some point and there is another tray of tomato seedlings coming on. Probably end up having too many again.

Our newish allotment neighbours have put up a posh shed they got from the university for nowt. Not bad....that's a £300 quid shed if ever I saw one...and the university was going to skip it along with lots of other stuff. Grrrr! I'm glad to say they've put it on a decent foundation and bolted it down. They'll be glad they did that when the winter gales set in again.

I haz bought 375 metres of strimmer wire. This is because it makes it about one tenth of the price of buying it at somewhere like B&Q or a garden centre. However, I calculate that I will be 137 years old by the time it runs out. I reckon on that basis if anyone wants some 2mm strimmer wire you can just come and get some. I know, I know....I'm nuts.

25 April 2014

I think we've lost this cherry tree sadly. No sign of buds opening out and there's a dry, brittle feeling to the branch tips. I don't think nutrients are being transported or they're getting blocked. There's quite a bit of lichen on it, but that shouldn't hurt it. It's probably a fungal infestation of some sort, I'm not sure. I suppose it might have got water logged this winter or maybe the soil pH is out of whack, I haven't tested that. I just don't know. :-(

23 April 2014

"You might think that the bigger gaps where soil meets bits of broken crockery would allow more water to filter through. But this turns out not to be the case, some argue. Guy Barter, chief horticultural adviser at the RHS, says a crock is actually likely to worsen drainage by creating a block. It's better to have a layer of sand underneath soil that will allow water to drain into it and later be sucked up by roots if needed. The only minor points in favour of crocks are that they might block drainage in hot weather, and also save money on compost. In most cases, people would be better off omitting them."Alan Titchmarsh - Crocks"Broken pieces of clay pot, which are used to cover the holes in the bottom of pots. The crocks help to stop compost blocking the holes and improve drainage. Stones, coarse gravel or large fragments of polystyrene are useful alternatives."...........................................................................................................................oh!EDIT: from my friend Alexandra:The Myth of Drainage Material in Container Plantings:

Given that the snap Ofsted inspections of the Birmingham schools at the centre of the 'Trojan Horse' Islamic takeover of state education seem to have some credibility, I'm wondering why anyone is really that shocked or surprised. There are verses aplenty in the Qu'ran that direct its adherents explicitly towards achieving domination within any culture within which it finds itself. The argument that the interpretation of the definite article and substantive pronoun in Arabic confine the meaning of those verses to a particular time or place, I don't find very convincing.

In any case most religions have their own fairly aggressive conversion tactics and stand in logical opposition to one another as purveyors of different 'truths.' Christianity certainly doesn't smell of roses in this respect. They all have a vested interest in brainwashing young minds, (don't tell me they don't - I went through it), so that their religion is promulgated through the generations.

Politicians from all parties seem to be foundering over this because they don't have coherent views on the murky relationship between state and religion. So we have Jack Straw saying “The parents have to accept… that we also live in the United Kingdom and that alongside values that are religiously based, there has to be a clear understanding that this is the UK, and there are a set of values, that are indeed Christian based, which permeate our sense of citizenship.”

David Cameron is likewise talkingabout the christian roots of our culture. Apart from the fact that our roots pre-date christianity by thousands of years, it seems unhelpful to talk in these terms, as it further sets religions in opposition to one another without getting to grips with a proper solution viz - the decoupling of state education from religion altogether.

Also, there is nothing in Mr Straw's statement that obliges Islam to accept a secular status quo in state education, is there? Or the catholics or protestants or hindus or jews or sikhs or whatever other religion seeks to infiltrate the minds of our children. It's the job of politicians. Get a grip on it.

21 April 2014

"I think your blog is absolutely brilliant! I’m contacting you from Silver River Productions, a TV company based in London. We are currently in production for a BBC2 primetime gardening show ‘The Big Allotment Challenge’.

The series follows a handful of talented amateur kitchen gardeners as they transform a plot of earth into a patch of beauty....bla bla

We are looking for contestants to feature in the series, those who have the skill and dedication and who could dig their way to victory and be crowned the winner of The Big Allotment Challenge.......bla bla bla....email grow@silverriver.tv for an application form"My response was a tad blunt perhaps: "Cheers for the compliment. Not that interested in the TV show however: it's a bit like tacking a bit of gardening onto a reality TV show.... plus I've always found any competitive element to gardening a great big joke: a bit like comparing willys."Julian Baggini has commented in the Guardian...."It turns the allotment into a site of competition, when in essence they are all about solidarity and co-operation: sharing surplus crops, water troughs, tools and piles of manure. It also turns food cultivation into a kind of social display, reflecting allotments' transformation from symbols of low status to status symbols. They have become an important element in creating a certain identity as a grounded, Earth-loving soul. And in the modern world, whatever identity we seek, people find ways of selling it to us."I don't think Julian watched Allotment Wars somehow. While I agree with some of what he's saying, in my time on allotments I have seen petty disagreements turn into long standing feuds; power trips you would not believe; favoritism in allotment allocation; vindictive ganging up on plotholders; police being called to arrest a plotholder; theft; vandalism; racism: the list could go on and on. Yes, I have also seen, and increasingly do, thank goodness, co-operation, sharing, more transparency in governance and a better atmosphere all round. But when he presumes to tell us what allotments are 'in essence', methinks he doth project overmuch, (which he is wont to do in his philosophical writings too I think.) Also, there is a certain irony in that Julian is part of the media 'click bait' culture that acts as a conduit for vast advertising revenues by deliberately farming out 'opinion' on an industrial scale for people to identify with, to be outraged by, to nod in agreement with, to be 'disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' about.

He ends with, "The story of allotments could be seen as the story of western society in microcosm. First, we did what we needed to survive. Second, we acquired for the sake of acquisition, mindlessly consuming. Third, we turned to non-material goods but still bought them like good customers. Finally, perhaps we will come to enjoy what is good for its own sake. That would be a victory worth digging for."I think it's a tad more complicated than that.What does it mean..."we turned to non-material goods but still bought them like good customers?" Never mind eh, Julian.....a cheque will be arriving in the post shortly.

Replaced all the path edging in the greenhouse as the old stuff was rotten and fell apart.

Sometimes I get told off for not labeling things well enough. It's true. This year I hit on a cunning plan for when I run out of labels. I get any old damaged plant pot and with the aid of a pair of scissors it turns into a useful pile of labels.

Do not buy B&Q own brand cheapo staple gun. They fall apart very quickly. Mine did anyway so I took it back to B&Q and loaded a trolly with two bags of compost, took it to checkout and asked him to mark the staple gun off against the price of the compost. 'Ok, that'll be 2p,' he said. 'Only got a £20 note,' sais I. 'Get out of here,' sais he. If you do that often enough you could get rich....but you would have an awful lot of compost.

18 April 2014

After patching up some very old cloth, looks like we will be playing the Monday night bal at the Kinnersley Spring Festival this May. Maybe something on the Tuesday too, not sure yet. The full program of artists/events will appear here before too long I expect.

Party on dudes.

Here is Alio from mini Quercus (me Cathy & Jonathan) to be going on with.

The canal is silky smooth this morning and a misty moon hovers on the horizon. No sign of Mr Blackbird. Taking my guitar to work today as can't annoy anyone but me. Boss is taking the piss this year: already worked Xmas and New Year and now Good Friday and Easter Monday too. Someone gonna have to pay. Should be on the plot on a luvverly day like this. Gnnn.